By Steve Gunn
EAGnews.org

MADISON, Wis. – Virtual education is becoming an increasingly popular option for Wisconsin school districts, largely due to the fact that it costs less to operate.

The number of school districts licensed to offer full-time online instruction has increased from 15 in 2009-10 to about 28 this year, according to a report from the Green Bay Press-Gaz.

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Some officials in the education community worry that the trend may be bad for students, because studies have shown “virtual students trail traditional students by almost every academic metric.”

Tony Evers, Wisconsin’s superintendent of public instruction, worries that some school districts may try to make money from virtual education, because the state gives them more per virtual student then they end up spending on each student.

Wisconsin public schools spend a little more than $13,000 on traditional students every year, according to the most recent data. Virtual schools spend an average of about $5,747 per student, while receiving $6,867 per student from the state.

“There is a concern … because school districts are getting so tapped for resources they view this as an opportunity to make money,” Evers was quoted as saying. “Some are going to do as little as possible, and good virtual schooling will become bad virtual schooling.”

Some of these concerns may be legitimate, but it would be a crime to throw the baby out with the bath water.

Some special interests, particularly teachers unions, are opposed to online learning because there is less demand for union teachers. They would undoubtedly like to see the entire idea tossed aside.

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But the fact is that some students, for their own unique reasons, respond better to online learning. And there is nothing wrong with schools saving some money this way, as long as kids receive thorough and proper instruction that prepares them for college or the real world.

The trick is probably to increase state regulation of virtual schools, to make sure they offer the same type of fundamental learning opportunities as traditional classes. A simple answer may be to devise a test that all virtual students must pass before receiving a high school diploma, guaranteeing their knowledge and skills are at least on par with graduates from traditional schools.

If too many students fail the test and don’t get diplomas, online education will lose its popular appeal. That might force the host school districts to improve instruction or get of the business altogether.

In any case, it’s far too early to dismiss online learning. It may need some tweaking but it shouldn’t be trashed.